Formation of oil-particle aggregates: Impacts of mixing energy and duration

Ji, Wen; Boufadel, Michel C.; Zhao, Lin; Robinson, Brian; King, Thomas; An, Chunjiang; Zhang, Baiyu; Lee, Kenneth

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148781

Cited by 21 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 28 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The flasks were then sealed and placed in an orbital shaker (Thermo Scientific MaxQ 2000, MA, US) at 200 rpm, thus providing a flask-averaged energy dissipation rate (ε) of 0.5 W/kg. 46 Such a mixing energy is comparable to other experimental work 53,54 and was found to be the dominant mechanism for OPA formation as discussed in Ji et al 47 Table 1 lists the experiments conducted at different mixing durations, whereby the flasks mixed for a short period (i.e., 0.5 to 24 h) were prepared in a series of four and were only used to investigate OPA breakup and formation, while the ones mixed for longer periods (96 to 672 h) were prepared in a series of seven, of which three were used for analyzing the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons and four were used to investigate OPA breakup and formation. In addition, two sets of control flasks were prepared, in triplicate, to investigate the biodegradation and evaporation of crude oil while subject to the same conditions without adding sediments.…”

Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 88%

Post-Formation of Oil Particle Aggregates: Breakup and Biodegradation

Abou-Khalil

Jayalakshmamma

et al. 2023

Environ. Sci. Technol.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Spilled oil slicks are likely to break into droplets in the subtidal and intertidal zones of seashores due to wave energy. The nonliving suspended fine particles in coastal ecosystems can interact with the dispersed oil droplets, resulting in the formation of Oil Particle Aggregates (OPAs). Many investigations assumed that these aggregates will settle due to the particles’ high density. Recent studies, however, reported that some particles penetrate the oil droplets, which results in further breakup while forming smaller OPAs that remain suspended in the water column. Here, we investigated the interaction of crude oil droplets with intertidal and subtidal sediments, as well as artificial pure kaolinite, in natural seawater. Results showed that the interaction between oil droplets and intertidal sediments was not particularly stable, with an Oil Trapping Efficiency (OTE) < 25%. When using subtidal sediments, OTE reached 56%. With artificial kaolinite, OPA formation and breakup were more significant (OTE reaching up to 67%) and occurred faster (within 12 h). Oil chemistry analysis showed that the biodegradation of oil in seawater (half-life of 485 h) was significantly enhanced with the addition of sediments, with half-lives of 305, 265, and 150 h when adding intertidal sediments, subtidal sediments, and pure kaolinite, respectively. Such results reveal how the sediments’ shape and size affect the various oil–sediment interaction mechanisms, and the subsequent impact on the microbial degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons. Future studies should consider investigating the application of fine (several microns) and sharp (elongated-sheeted) sediments as a nondestructive and nontoxic technique for dispersing marine oil spills.

show abstract

Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 88%

Post-Formation of Oil Particle Aggregates: Breakup and Biodegradation

Abou-Khalil

Jayalakshmamma

et al. 2023

Environ. Sci. Technol.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Bubbles produced by breaking waves are also found in offshore areas . More importantly, the shoreline is not only a sink for pollutants but also plays host to further transport and transformation of pollutants. − As a traditional pollutant in the ocean, oil spills seriously harm local ecosystems once stranded in the shoreline environment. , There have been many studies investigating the fate and transport of oil stranded on shorelines, but almost all have paid attention to only light irradiation, temperature, salinity, shoreline substrate, microbial degradation, and other conventional factors. − NBs affect not only the physical transport of pollutants but also their chemical weathering, biodegradation, and adsorption with other environmental pollutants. Meanwhile, no studies have thus far focused on the potential effects of NBs on spilled oil in the shoreline environment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the Role of Nanobubbles in the Fate and Transport of Spilled Oil on Shorelines

Wang

Lee

et al. 2023

ACS EST Water

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Nanobubbles (NBs) generated by wave breaking and shearing are abundant and stable in the ocean. However, few studies have focused on the effects of NBs in the fate and transport of pollutants in the shoreline environment. In this study, the properties of NBs were determined, as well as the influencing factors. The role of NBs in the fate and transport of spilled oil were further investigated. The results showed that NBs significantly increased the concentration of dissolved oxygen as well as changed the pH, zeta potential, and surface tension of the water. Low salinity favored the generation of NBs, while high salinity inhibited this process. The surface active materials played a positive role in the generation and stabilization of NBs. With the assistance of external energy, the bulk NBs enhanced the efficiency in oil detachment from the surface of the substrate. At the same time, the surface NBs on the substrate obstructed the downward transport of oil colloids. Considering the behavior between the NBs in two different phases and the oil droplets, the oil droplets tended to bind to the NBs. This study demonstrates that NBs can play a significant role in the environmental behaviors of pollutants in the coastal areas.

show abstract

“…As the oil‐particle aggregation proceeded, the aggregated oil may be stretched due to the continuous adhesion of particles, further distorting the droplet surface. Additionally, formed OPAs may be more prone to break up over time, making the trapped oil droplets elongated (Ji et al., 2021). The oil type slightly affected the mean size and shape of trapped oil droplets, which supports the findings of Delvigne and Sweeney (1988) that the mean size of oil droplets is proportional to the oil kinematic viscosity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Oil and Sediment Properties and Mixing States on the Formation and Settling of Oil‐Particle Aggregates

Xiong

et al. 2022

JGR Oceans

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Understanding the interaction of oil droplets with suspended particulate matter is important not only for sunken oil modeling but also for emergency response. In this study, the effects of mixing time and energy, oil type, and sediment concentration and size on the oil content, morphology, and density of oil‐particle aggregates (OPAs) were investigated through a series of wave tank experiments and sedimentation tests. The results showed that loads of oil and particles in OPAs are high under high mixing energy. Under turbulent hydrodynamics, moderately viscous oils form OPAs more easily and sink rapidly to the seabed. Moreover, an increase in the density and oil capacity of OPAs is observed at a higher sediment concentration. More oil is captured by finer sediments. However, the corresponding oil‐sediment aggregates generally show lower density compared with those formed by larger sediments. The oil‐seawater interfacial tension (IFTow) diminishes with the addition of sediments, further promoting oil dispersion. The increasing duration and mixing energy produce more flake OPAs and multiple‐droplet OPAs. Oil droplets tend to be surrounded by several small particles but attach to the surface of large particles. Regardless of oil type and sediment concentration, the structure of OPAs does not change significantly.

show abstract

Formation of oil-particle aggregates: Impacts of mixing energy and duration

Cited by 21 publications

References 28 publications

Post-Formation of Oil Particle Aggregates: Breakup and Biodegradation

Post-Formation of Oil Particle Aggregates: Breakup and Biodegradation

Exploring the Role of Nanobubbles in the Fate and Transport of Spilled Oil on Shorelines

Effects of Oil and Sediment Properties and Mixing States on the Formation and Settling of Oil‐Particle Aggregates

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About